EA Cuts Back On DRM

Electronic Arts (ERTS) is at giving up on the most restrictive versions of its DRM, software locks that prevent EA's computer games from being illegally copied. Sims 3, one of EA's most hotly anticipated titles of the year, won't contain "SecuROM" DRM, bundled into some high-profile EA games like Spore and expansion packs to Sims 2.

EA certainly has to do everything it can to protect its creations from pirates, but SecuROM in particular was probably more trouble for the company than it was worth. Geeks sued EA over it, launched an anti-DRM campaign on Amazon's Spore page, and cracked versions of Sporecirculated P2P networks anyway.

But EA isn't giving up on DRM totally -- Sims 3 gamers will have to need their install disc to play.